Exploring the Versatility of Microemulsions in Cutaneous Drug Delivery: Opportunities and Challenges.

Microemulsions are novel drug delivery systems that have garnered significant attention in the pharmaceutical research field. These systems possess several desirable characteristics, such as transparency and thermodynamic stability, which make them suitable for delivering both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. In this comprehensive review, we aim to explore different aspects related to the formulation, characterization, and applications of microemulsions, with a particular emphasis on their potential for cutaneous drug delivery.

Plant oils: From chemical composition to encapsulated form use.

The last decade has witnessed a burgeoning global movement towards essential and vegetable oils in the food, agriculture, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and textile industries thanks to their natural and safe status, broad acceptance by consumers, and versatile functional properties. However, efforts to develop new therapy or functional agents based on plant oils have met with challenges of limited stability and/or reduced efficacy. As a result, there has been increased research interest in the encapsulation of plant oils, whereby the nanocarriers serve as barrier between plant oils and the environment and control oil release leading to improved efficacy, reduced toxicity and enhanced patient compliance and convenience.

Nanocapsules containing Saussurea lappa essential oil: Formulation, characterization, antidiabetic, anti-cholinesterase and anti-inflammatory potentials.

Plant-based remedies have been widely used for the management of variable diseases due to their safety and less side effects. In the present study, we investigated Saussurea lappa CB. Clarke.

Iodinated polymer nanoparticles as contrast agent for spectral photon counting computed tomography.

Suspensions of iodinated polymer nanoparticles are evaluated as contrast agent for Computed Tomography (CT) and Spectral Photon Counting Computed Tomography (SPCCT). Iodine containing moieties are grafted to poly(vinyl alcohol) by means of a covalent ester bond up to high degree of substitution of 0.77 providing high iodine content of 71 wt%.

Solid lipid nanocarriers diffuse effectively through mucus and enter intestinal cells - but where is my peptide?

Peptides are therapeutic molecules with high potential to treat a wide variety of diseases. They are large hydrophilic compounds for which absorption is limited by the intestinal epithelial border covered by mucus. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of Hydrophobic Ion Pairing combined with Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLN) and Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC) to improve peptide transport across the intestinal border using Caco-2 cell monolayers (enterocyte-like model) and Caco-2/HT29-MTX co-cultured monolayers (mucin-secreting model).

Human serum albumin nanoparticles as nanovector carriers for proteins: Application to the antibacterial proteins "neutrophil elastase" and "secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor".

The use of proteins and defined amino acid sequences as therapeutic drugs have gained a certain interest in the past decade. However, protein encapsulation within protein nanoparticles was never endeavored. For this reason, human serum albumin (HSA) nanoparticles were prepared by nanoprecipitation method.

Essential Oils-Loaded Polymer Particles: Preparation, Characterization and Antimicrobial Property.

In the last few years, essential oils (EOs) derived from plants have aroused great interest due to their well-known antimicrobial activity. Unfortunately, they present several limitations in their use, such as photosensitivity, temperature sensitivity, high volatility, and poor water solubility. The encapsulation technique represents a good solution to these problems and ensures protection of the functional properties of essential oils.

In-vitro evaluation of solid lipid nanoparticles: Ability to encapsulate, release and ensure effective protection of peptides in the gastrointestinal tract.

Peptides are rarely orally administrated due to rapid degradation in the gastrointestinal tract and low absorption at the epithelial border. The objective of this study was to encapsulate a model water-soluble peptide in biodegradable and biocompatible solid lipid-based nanoparticles, i.e.

Comparison of Three Processes for Parenteral Nanoemulsion Production: Ultrasounds, Microfluidizer, and Premix Membrane Emulsification.

Nanoemulsions are of great interest for pharmaceutical applications, including parenteral dosage forms. However, their production is still limited and requires more efficient and adaptive technologies. The more common systems are high-shear homogenization such as microfludizers at industrial scale and ultrasounds at research scale, both based on high energy, limiting their application for sensitive drugs.

Behaviour of Tetrabenazine in Acid Medium: Reassessment and Impact on Formulation.

Thorough studies of previous analytical stress data of tetrabenazine, a dopamine depleting agent, showed a potential susceptibility to acidic conditions. Hence, the behavior of tetrabenazine acidic solutions was studied by LC-MS and NMR spectroscopy. Reverse-phase LC-MS analysis of tetrabenazine acidic aqueous solutions consistently showed a main lipophilic impurity in a proportion of 15 to 20%.

Polymeric nanocapsules as drug carriers for sustained anticancer activity of calcitriol in breast cancer cells.

Clinical use of calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D) as an anticancer agent is currently limited by the requirement of supraphysiological doses and associated hypercalcemia. Nanoencapsulation of calcitriol is a strategy to overcome these drawbacks, allowing reduced administrated doses and/or frequency, while retaining the therapeutic activity towards cancer cells. For this purpose, we investigated the impact of calcitriol encapsulation on its antiproliferative activity and optimized formulation parameters with that respect.

Protein-Based Nanoparticle Preparation via Nanoprecipitation Method.

Nanoparticles are nowadays largely investigated in the field of drug delivery. Among nanoparticles, protein-based particles are of paramount importance since they are natural, biodegradable, biocompatible, and nontoxic. There are several methods to prepare proteins containing nanoparticles, but only a few studies have been dedicated to the preparation of protein- based nanoparticles.

Lipid-based nanosuspensions for oral delivery of peptides, a critical review.

Peptides are therapeutic molecules that can treat selectively and efficiently a wide range of pathologies. However, their intrinsic properties cause their rapid degradation in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract resulting in poor bioavailability after oral administration. Yet, their encapsulation in nanocarriers offers them protection from this harsh environment and increases their permeability across the epithelium border.

Quantitative Aspect of Fraction before and after Encapsulation in Polymeric Nanoparticles.

The interest on plants has been focalized due to their biological activities. Extracts or fractions from plants in biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles (NP) provide many advantages on application studies. The encapsulation of the extract or fraction in NP is determined for the establishment of the test dose.

Ophthalmic Drug Delivery Systems for Antibiotherapy-A Review.

The last fifty years, ophthalmic drug delivery research has made much progress, challenging scientists about the advantages and limitations of this drug delivery approach. Topical eye drops are the most commonly used formulation in ocular drug delivery. Despite the good tolerance for patients, this topical administration is only focus on the anterior ocular diseases and had a high precorneal loss of drugs due to the tears production and ocular barriers.

Sponge like microparticles for drug delivery and cosmeto-textile use: Formulation and human skin penetration.

This unique work is targeted to achieve three main goals: i) to enhance the aqueous solubility of three specifically selected hydrophobic active agents, ii) to prepare such polymeric biodegradable microparticles which can encapsulate actives-cyclodextrin complexes and iii) to functionalize a polyamide base textile with active loaded microparticles and active-cyclodextrin loaded microparticles. To achieve this objective, biodegradable cationic microparticles were prepared via double emulsion solvent evaporation process and were loaded with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin based complexes of Indomethacin, α-tocopheroland Lauryl Isoquinolinium Bromide during the formulation process. Inclusion complex based particles were evaluated for their morphology, size distribution, zeta potential, skin penetration aptitude and adsorption onto a selected textile.

Nanoprecipitation process: From encapsulation to drug delivery.

Drugs encapsulation is a suitable strategy in order to cope with the limitations of conventional dosage forms such as unsuitable bioavailability, stability, taste, and odor. Nanoprecipitation technique has been used in the pharmaceutical and agricultural research as clean alternative for other drug carrier formulations. This technique is based on precipitation mechanism.

Polycaprolactone Based Nanoparticles Loaded with Indomethacin for Anti-Inflammatory Therapy: From Preparation to Ex Vivo Study.

Purpose: This work focused on the preparation of polycaprolactone based nanoparticles containing indomethacin to provide topical analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect for symptomatic treatment of inflammatory diseases. Indomethacin loaded nanoparticles are prepared for topical application to decrease indomethacin side effects and administration frequency. Oppositely to already reported works, in this research non-invasive method has been used for the enhancement of indomethacin dermal drug penetration.

Orodispersible films based on amorphous solid dispersions of tetrabenazine.

In this work, the formation and stability of amorphous solid dispersions (SDs) as orodispersible films (ODF) were investigated using tetrabenazine (TBZ) as a poorly water soluble drug. The influence of polymer nature and pH-modifier incorporation to form and maintain SDs was investigated. TBZ-loaded ODF were formulated using 4 different polymers (HPMC, PVP, Pullulan, and HEC).

Encapsulation of NSAIDs for inflammation management: Overview, progress, challenges and prospects.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most widely prescribed drugs. Debilitating diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are commonly managed by NSAIDs. However, NSAIDs pharmacological mechanism is often associated with the presence of gastrointestinal side effects.

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate/polyethylene glycol-based microspheres.

The in vivo effectiveness of biomolecules may be limited by their rapid diffusion in the body and short half-life time. Encapsulation of these biomolecules allows protecting them against degradation and ensuring a controlled release over time. In this work, the production of polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate/polyethylene glycol-based microspheres loaded with heparin by double emulsion-solvent evaporation is investigated.

Formulation of orodispersible films for paediatric therapy: investigation of feasibility and stability for tetrabenazine as drug model.

Objectives: Orodispersible films (ODF) were formulated to facilitate tetrabenazine (TBZ) administration to paediatric population for the treatment of hyperkinetic movement disorders.

Methods: ODF were obtained by solvent casting/evaporation method using four different polymers (HPMC, PVP, pullulan and HEC). Physicochemical, mechanical and biopharmaceutical characterizations as well as API state in ODF by thermal analysis were investigated to define and compare formulations.

Aminodextran polymer-functionalized reactive magnetic emulsions for potential theranostic applications.

Aminodextran (AMD) polymer was prepared via chemical grafting of hexamethylenediamine on oxidized dextran. Magnetic latex particles were successfully obtained by adsorption of positively charged AMD on negatively charged submicron magnetic emulsion. The adsorbed amount was found to be ranged from 20 to 1280mg of AMD per gram of dried magnetic dispersion.

Plant extracts: from encapsulation to application.

Introduction: Plants are a natural source of various products with diverse biological activities offering treatment for several diseases. Plant extract is a complex mixture of compounds, which can have antioxidant, antibiotic, antiviral, anticancer, antiparasitic, antifungal, hypoglycemic, anti-hypertensive and insecticide properties. The extraction of these extracts requires the use of organic solvents, which not only complicates the formulations but also makes it difficult to directly use the extracts for humans.

Microencapsulation of rifampicin for the prevention of endophthalmitis: In vitro release studies and antibacterial assessment.

Rifampicin encapsulated microparticles were designed for intraocular injection after cataract surgery to prevent postoperative endophthalmitis. Microparticles were formulated by emulsification diffusion method using poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) as polymer in order to propose a new form of rifampicin that overcome its limitations in intraocular delivery. Depending on processing formulation, different types of microparticles were prepared, characterized and evaluated by in vitro release studies.